Kao, JP3205800000

Kao Corporation stock trades at EUR 19.72 as profits recover

Published on 09/30/2026 at 22:18 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

CLSA set a JPY 4,400.00 target on September 9, 2026, after an upgrade. First-half operating profit reached JPY 95.8 billion, up 38.5 percent year over year.

Kao, JP3205800000, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Kao Corporation (ISIN JP3205800000) stock was trading at EUR 19.72 at Lang & Schwarz on September 30, 2026, at 10:14 p.m. CEST, plus 0.46 percent versus the prior close of EUR 19.63. The consumer products group enters the final quarter with a sharp gap between sales growth and profit growth.

First-half profit rises 38.5 percent

According to Kao in its investor-relations calendar, the company reported first-half results for the period ended June 30, 2026, on August 5, 2026. Sales reached JPY 871.9 billion, up 7.8 percent year over year, while operating profit climbed to JPY 95.8 billion, up 38.5 percent.

The operating profit margin was 11.0 percent, a 2.4-point improvement from the same period in 2025. As Corporate Visit reported on September 1, 2026, this was Kao's highest first-half operating profit on record, putting the company at 50.4 percent of its JPY 190.0 billion full-year operating profit forecast.

CLSA raises the valuation bar

The analyst signal is also constructive. According to Investing.com on September 9, 2026, CLSA upgraded Kao to Buy and set a JPY 4,400.00 price target, up from JPY 3,100.00.

That target is 25.71 percent above the Tokyo Stock Exchange price of JPY 3,500.00 on September 30, 2026. The comparison matters because the first-half margin improvement supports the earnings recovery thesis, while the target still assumes further progress beyond the current reporting period.

Kao stock price and next report

On the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Kao shares were last at JPY 3,500.00 on September 30, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. JST. The session price sat inside the 52-week range of JPY 2,880.00 to JPY 3,782.00, while market capitalization stood at JPY 3.2 trillion.

Investing.com lists November 5, 2026, as Kao's next earnings date. The report will show whether the company can convert the first-half operating leverage into a stronger second-half result.

Kao stock holds above its prior close

Kao stock was trading at EUR 19.72 at Lang & Schwarz on September 30, 2026, at 10:14 p.m. CEST, plus 0.46 percent versus the prior close of EUR 19.63. The quote places the German-market indication alongside a Japanese earnings recovery that is already visible in the first-half figures.